A'constant'in our design process is to be 'Nature' sensitive.Our objective is to bring 'Nature' into the design, to include the natural qualities inherent to Southern California and it’s ‘micro climates’- its native rocks, its changing elevations, the unique climates of its canyons, beaches, & interior desert environments.

·Michael Buckner, born and raised in San Diego, has been both a nurseryman, and a landscape designer in Southern California for over 40 years. His design work has been featured in San Diego Home & Garden, Pacific Horticulture, books by Debra Lee Baldwin, and multiple othermagazines and newspapers.

·Michael is a nationally 'Certified Judge' for the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, a horticulturalist, a grower of rare and exotic plant materials, a sought after speaker, an avid student of natural history, and abibliophile.

·Jenise (Deeter) Buckner holds degrees in both Landscape Architecture and Fine Art (MFA, Masters of Fine Art).She taught drawing and black & white photography at SDSU for three years, while earning her masters degree.

Sunday, February 17

I'm particularly excited about this recently completed residential design which includes a full spectrum of plant material - from cacti, succulent, and Mediterranean to semi-tropical plant material. The landscape in the front garden area is designed as a colorful, show-stopping water-wise succulent garden. The back garden areas stretch out on three different levels from east to west. The upper level wooden deck gives access to the 2nd level concrete patio with serpentine seat walls surrounded by various planting areas, and plenty of open space for some beautiful designed container gardens. The third level is a marvelous flagstone patio garden which literally reaches out into one of our city's gorgeous canyons, populated as they are with a collection of both native and volunteer plantings. Naturally all the backyard garden areas have amazing views! The gracefully articulated levels of outdoor living space invite both, the idea of a garden party, or a more intimate moment of individual communion with Nature. All that's required to fully set the stage are some well-chosen, incredible plant material - and the design will make that happen. This has been a fabulous project to be a part of!

Friday, February 8

I collected the following photos during a local garden tour which included some fabulous mature succulent and mixed- plant gardens designed and maintained by someone whose well-known for his succulent gardens, and someone I'm fortunate to collaborate with on my own original landscape designs, his name is Michael Buckner. These then are 'Michael's Gardens' and they represent the 'WOW' factor in the differences between the successful mature gardens vs. the newly installed succulent garden. The newly installed, successful succulent garden naturally needs some time, a few years time, to mature in order to truly showcase its ultimate potential. These photos are of magnificent gardens. We all want to be surrounded by such gardens! Note: the photos reveal a seasonal color thing: this time of the year you will see a lot of golds and oranges in the succulent gardens!

The first group of photos represent images of a stunningly beautiful garden located in the hills above Old Town. Enjoy!

This 2nd group of photos showcase an incomparable, colorful succulent garden located in the Pt. Loma area. When you stand before it - located so close to the ocean - you are reminded of the beauty, color and texture of a coral reef. The garden's proximity to the ocean also allows for successfully pairing succulents with certain varieties of bromeliads...the result is a unique visual treat! Scroll down to find the photo highlighting one of the planting areas w/both succulent and bromeliads.

Succulents and bromeliads growing in the full sun in this over the top beautiful Pt. Loma garden.

Thursday, February 7

This recent water-wise garden, is looking incredible right now, just one week after the final install of top dressing, d.g., ledger stone and flagstone.

While this garden is dynamic and original - remember it's not a mature succulent garden.A succulent garden can take a good 3 years to really find its own. Everything will be bigger and bolder.

It's always amazing to see how much beauty, color and texture can be infused into a garden in only a few weeks time. However, by next year this garden will be incredible! The trees will have matured - the Palos Verde 'Desert Museums' will be in bloom - and the Euphorbia continifolia (Caribbean Copper Tree) on the corners and front side of the house will be established and be displaying its bright copper/purple leaves, the various aloes will be in bloom, the cacti will bloom, as will the echeverias and other succulents.

You have to love the way the ledge stone, river rock, d.g. and flagstone frame the planting areas and pathways. When done correctly, a 'sense of history, of time' is installed with these materials and sets the stage for the plant material.

Yes, to the Pedilanthus (Slipper Plant) in this particular spot in the garden!!

About Me

I'm Jenise (Deeter) Buckner, and a partner with Deeter Buckner Design, LLC (originally Jenise Deeter Desgins). My desire to do landscape design grew out of creative passion; a love of art/design, and working on the land with plants and people. I'm also an artist - degrees in Landscape Architecture & Masters of Fine Arts. I returned to school to study Landscape Architecture after 8+ yrs in the nursery business, with a love of nature (childhood, 2,000 acre farm in ND) and a art and design background. My degree in Landscape Architecture provides the tools I need to create concept plans designs (on paper) of original sustainable water-wise landscapes, creative enhancements of outdoor living spaces.
Studies/Degrees: M.F.A., Masters of Fine Art, San Diego State, A.S. Landscape Architect, Mesa C. College, San Diego, and Narrative Film; and Storyboarding at Art Center, Pasadena.
I taught college art (drawing and mixed media) @ SDSU while a grad student. I also taught B&White Photography under Walt Cotten @ SDSU. After graduation, I exhibited contemporary art and short films in San Diego and Los Angeles.